The Blues made it six points from a possible nine under their new boss with a 2-1 win over Burnley at Portman Road on Saturday, a first home league win in more than seven months lifting them off the foot of the Championship table.

Not only have the Football League’s most porous side looked far more solid with a 4-4-2 formation, but they have also been a far bigger threat going forward too.

Captain Carlos Edwards finally returned to a right-wing role on Saturday having previously been deployed at right-back by Paul Jewell, while Daryl Murphy has looked far more effective up front than he has on the left of midfield with DJ Campbell benefiting hugely from a strike partner.

“I just think that I can give more to the team up front rather than left midfield,” said Murphy, scorer of Town’s opener. “I feel like I’m not really involved in the game when I’m out left, whereas up front I am more involved. I’m an outlet for the long ball and I thought DJ and I linked up well.”

On Edwards – whose brilliant run and cross set up Campbell’s late winner after the Blues had been pegged back – Murphy added: “Carlos has always been a winger. I played with him at Sunderland where he played right-midfield every week and was absolutely brilliant.

“If you’re a left-back you don’t want someone like Carlos running at you every five minutes because he’s very quick and direct.

“In the last few weeks we’ve done new things in training and tried new things in matches. We’ve looked back on where we’ve gone wrong over the last few weeks and nit-picked at everything in detail.”

Speaking of Edwards’ positional change, McCarthy – who shifted Luke Chambers to right-back and brought Tommy Smith back in from the cold – said: “He’s better there. Maybe it was needs-must that he has been playing there. We get good things out of him (at right-back) but he is much better wide right.”

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Town's two previous dud managers who have been joined at the hip with Major Soundbite have also started off with innovations such as playing players in their correct positions. It's when desperation sets in after a month or two and the revolving door has ejected half a dozen loanees and brought in a few ill-assorted, hasty replacements that daft decisions will be made. Is Mick man enough to avoid the traditional pitfalls of an average manager in a cash-strapped offshore investment with an aversion to to contracted players? Time will tell.

As is well-known and often stated, supporters are ignorant souls who know nothing about the deep mysteries of team selection and tactics. Strange then that MM has moved Chambers to RB, Carlos to the wing and plays a 4-2-2 formation. Gee, what do we know?